Health Information

Topic Contents

PTSD and Negative Coping

Topic Overview

With
post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), you may try to
deal with problems in ways that cause more harm than good. This is called
negative coping. Negative coping means you use quick fixes that may make a
situation worse in the long run.

Here are some examples of
negative coping skills:

Substance abuse

Taking a lot of drugs or alcohol
to feel better is called
substance abuse. You may try to use drugs or alcohol
to escape your problems, help you sleep, or make your symptoms go away.

Substance abuse can cause serious problems. Drinking or using drugs can
put your relationships, your job, and your health in jeopardy. You may become
more likely to be mean or violent. When you are under the influence of alcohol
or drugs, you may make bad decisions.

Avoiding others

Certain situations may cause you
stress, make you angry, or remind you of bad memories. Because of this, you may
try to avoid other people at times. You may even avoid your friends and
family.

Avoiding others can make you feel isolated. Isolation is
when you tend to be alone a lot, rather than spending time around other
people.

When you distance yourself from others, your problems may
seem to build up. You may have more negative thoughts or feel like you're
facing life all alone.

Anger and violent behavior

You may feel a lot of
anger at times. Your anger may cause you to lose your temper and do reckless
things. You may distance yourself from people who want to help.

This is understandable. It's natural to feel angry after going through
something traumatic. But anger and violent behavior can cause problems in your
life and make it harder for you to recover.

Dangerous behavior

You also may cope by doing
things that are dangerous. For example, you may drive too fast or be quick to
start a fight when someone upsets you. You may end up hurting yourself or
someone else.

How you deal with stress also can be dangerous. If
you start smoking, or smoke more, you put your health in danger. Eating to
relieve stress also can be dangerous if you gain too much weight.

Working too much

Work is a good thing. You learn
new things, interact with others, and gain confidence. But working too much can
be a form of avoidance. You may be working to avoid memories or to help
yourself forget about the event. This is dangerous because:

You may not seek help for your PTSD.

You're not spending time with your family and friends. Being with
them and getting their support may help you recover and deal better with
PTSD.

You may work so much that you eat less and get little sleep.
This can hurt your health, so you're more likely to get sick.

What can I do?

Changing how you cope with PTSD is
part of your recovery. Here are some things you can do.

Talk to a doctor or counselor. You may need
help changing your behavior. You also may be
addicted to alcohol or drugs, which makes quitting on
your own hard.

Get involved with a support group for PTSD. You can
find out about support groups from your doctor, from some friends, or on the
Internet.

Talk to your family and friends about things that bother
you. They can offer you emotional support as you change your habits or
behavior.

Get involved with social and community events. Volunteer
at a sporting event or holiday festival. Connect with other people through
clubs or religious groups. Find hobbies and interests that bring you in contact
with others.

This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use.
How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.